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ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Do you have an air HQ at Johore? That will help with replacements and coordination, I believe.

I would now throw everything you have at Singapore, and I mean everything. I forget - is there an HR limiting altitude? If not, sweep with your Oscars and Zeroes at max altitude. 200 per day. Reallocate fighter units from Formosa to Kota Bharu and Johore.

For the forts, see if you can bring in a bunch of armor. IIRC, the Allies don't have a lot of AT, and the armor really helps bring down the forts. Combat engineers also, obviously.

Air HQ? Yup. Johore isn't overloaded with groups or planes, and there's oodles of support.

We're at 2nd best altitude ban for sweeps and CAP. Pretty much everything that can fly and shoot is in the DEI. Some defending Palambang, but most at Johore. That includes the Zero groups from the carriers!

The problem I'm having is it's costing me 7-9k casualties to knock the forts down one level, and they get repaired before my troops have time to recover for the next assault. Reinforcements are about a week out, so after they arive the ground war should shift firmly in my favour.

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

Honestly you don't need fighters anywhere else at this point - top priority should be Singapore. Disjointed sweeps in my experience are OK IIF you can get enough groups flying the mission. Each sweep will force more Allied fighters on the ground and the numbers game will turn in your favor. Keep it up a few turns and soon any CAP that the Allies can put in the air will be immediately shot from the sky. That's when you can start to bomb the base safely.

Everything is commited to the DEI (bar some Claudes training around the map waiting for surplus Zeros). My problem is that my sweeps are small, and his CAP is big. With the pilot parity as it is (American AVG hotshots against IJN hotshots), it's hurting me significantly.

ORIGINAL: obvert




Yep. All good.

With Singers it just helps to bring a lot of everything. He'll not have much supply if you bombard daily and keep up the DAs when your troops recover. The airfield maybe isn't as important as you're making it. If he wants to base fighters there, there's no reason you need to sweep them either. Just make sure no more supply comes in and wear the place down while getting other stuff more easily since he's focused on that. Like Palembang.

You now get the title "Offical Seer of the Emperor".

Excellent point, he's getting nothing in, so why kill my pilots over it? I should have bypassed Singers and let the IJA do it's job. Instead I got focused on suppressing it, much to the sorrow of my fighter and bomber corps.

The turn I sent away a few hours ago has me trying to brute force past the AVG. I'll be going around from now on.

You could try to cut the AVG off from getting out of Singapore. It would mean taking all the bases within transfer range, though... I mean they withdraw in the summer anyway, but if you cut them off from transferring out such that even his disband/withdraw buttons are red, he'll at least lose the airframes. They might even count as ops losses in that case.

Unlikely, it would require clearing all of Java and Sumatra.

Though it might be possible to clear out the eastern DEI and take Port Blair, so that any aircraft squadrons can't withdraw back to India or Austrailia...

Airpower...

While you are reposititioning ground assets for Singapore (as mentioned bring in more combat engineers and tanks), use the time to get your big Zero and Oscar fighter units filled out with airframes and crack fighter jocks to spare (nothing under 70 skill in zeros and nothing under 65 in the Oscars) and then run rough shod over Singapore. Sweep with Oscars at 15k and Zeros at 20k (or what is doable with your house rules) until he cries uncle then start plastering the airfield to prevent fort recovery between ground attacks. You need to get into a favorable cycle down there. He's sorta inside your OODA loop now, you need to break that. Once you have Singers, the same process will work for any other bastions he has been working on in the area. If you have to demote some small zero groups back to claudes temporarily to get enough airframes - do it now. Fill up the bombers while your at it and concentrate your power.

Crush your enemy, see him driven before you, and hear the lamentation of his women!

ORIGINAL: Sangeli

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
That costs supply though. He'll run out if you cut it off.

Singapore starts with near 50k supply I believe. I don't think that the for building will have a significant impact on this. Not in the least because IMO Japan should be taking Singapore well before supply for the defenders becomes an issue.

I agree 100%, but if it comes down to it... You can always starve him out.

Repeatedly building forts to 3 or 4 (or is he getting to 5?) does cost supply, and if he's still resisting on the ground then he's got enough LCUs there to eat even more supply... And flying CAP costs supply...

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

You could try to cut the AVG off from getting out of Singapore. It would mean taking all the bases within transfer range, though... I mean they withdraw in the summer anyway, but if you cut them off from transferring out such that even his disband/withdraw buttons are red, he'll at least lose the airframes. They might even count as ops losses in that case.

Unlikely, it would require clearing all of Java and Sumatra.

Though it might be possible to clear out the eastern DEI and take Port Blair, so that any aircraft squadrons can't withdraw back to India or Austrailia...

Yes, very unlikely. But a bonus if you can pull it off.

But the latter is a good thought . If you don't want to fight the AVG in Burma after Singers falls, prevent them from being able to get there! That would mean Port Blair for sure, but also Sabang and northern Sumatra. And maybe some of Burma. I think the P-40E's have a transfer range in the upper-20s.

However, if you force him south with the AVG, you'll have to face them over Java... That may not be an issue if you ignore him in the air, but you may not be able to do so.

ORIGINAL: Simonsez

Airpower...

While you are reposititioning ground assets for Singapore (as mentioned bring in more combat engineers and tanks), use the time to get your big Zero and Oscar fighter units filled out with airframes and crack fighter jocks to spare (nothing under 70 skill in zeros and nothing under 65 in the Oscars) and then run rough shod over Singapore. Sweep with Oscars at 15k and Zeros at 20k (or what is doable with your house rules) until he cries uncle then start plastering the airfield to prevent fort recovery between ground attacks. You need to get into a favorable cycle down there. He's sorta inside your OODA loop now, you need to break that. Once you have Singers, the same process will work for any other bastions he has been working on in the area. If you have to demote some small zero groups back to claudes temporarily to get enough airframes - do it now. Fill up the bombers while your at it and concentrate your power.

Crush your enemy, see him driven before you, and hear the lamentation of his women!

I prefer it in song and verse.

Have you emptied out those damaged CVs? Leave those seasoned crews behind for DEI and Singapore.

Febuary 7th to Febuary 11th

More bad news.

DEI

Things have just degraded. Badly.

Long story short, the AVG, with British Hurricanes, can now contest the air over Java, Sumatra and Singapore. What's worse is that my good IJN/IJA air units are just about at the end of their fighting ability. Singapore's forts got back up to three, only to be taken down to two again.

The MLD, with British support, can basically raid Sumatra with impunity. Miller has refrained from bombing Palambang's oil to dust more out of respect to my morale than military necessity.

I've scraped together what I can in terms of fighters to try to break through at Singapore next turn. It will be the kitchen sink, because my morale is in the tank and every day Singapore remains intact is a day Miller's turning Java in to a fortress.

Elsewhere

Quiet. My SNFL at Noumea fails to capture the base, they'll try again in a day or two.

Reasons for the Present Situation

From what I can critique:

- Units far too dispersed. Mainly in breaking down my Zero units early to try to cover everything. I'll never do this again, they're the cutting edge of the sword, not a sheild. The Nates can do that.
- Over-focus on the Phillipines. This should have been relegated to early model Oscars far, far sooner, and everything else commited to the DEI.
- Mishandling of the KB. This, I think, was critical. Rabaul and the Solomons are nowhere near as important as the DEI, and it's went unrealized unit it is far too late.

Take heart! You still have time.

If the AVG is now in Java, can you bomb Singapore's airfield?

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Take heart! You still have time.

If the AVG is now in Java, can you bomb Singapore's airfield?

AVG is in Singapore. Dutch, British and some American aircraft hold Java. Both solidly outnumber me in terms of decent fighters. I get parity if I factor in the Nates.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

Febuary 7th to Febuary 11th

More bad news.

[:-]

DEI

Things have just degraded. Badly.

Long story short, the AVG, with British Hurricanes, can now contest the air over Java, Sumatra and Singapore. What's worse is that my good IJN/IJA air units are just about at the end of their fighting ability. Singapore's forts got back up to three, only to be taken down to two again.

This is fine. Not a crisis. If you have enough to get a 1:1 at some point it will al come crumbling down quickly. It still takes supply to build forts.

The MLD, with British support, can basically raid Sumatra with impunity. Miller has refrained from bombing Palambang's oil to dust more out of respect to my morale than military necessity.

I've scraped together what I can in terms of fighters to try to break through at Singapore next turn. It will be the kitchen sink, because my morale is in the tank and every day Singapore remains intact is a day Miller's turning Java in to a fortress.

You're getting frantic for no reason. Java is fragile, just like all of the DEI. The troops suck, the airpower is thin, and it's too big to defend the whole coast. There are only a few planes that can hurt your naval strength, and they are very few and short ranged. Just keep tightening the noose getting the things that are easy.

Reasons for the Present Situation

From what I can critique:

- Units far too dispersed. Mainly in breaking down my Zero units early to try to cover everything. I'll never do this again, they're the cutting edge of the sword, not a sheild. The Nates can do that.
- Over-focus on the Phillipines. This should have been relegated to early model Oscars far, far sooner, and everything else commited to the DEI.
- Mishandling of the KB. This, I think, was critical. Rabaul and the Solomons are nowhere near as important as the DEI, and it's went unrealized unit it is far too late.

Firstly, the time for critique will come in a few months. Buck up and get to work, and forget thinking you're being outplayed. It's a charade. Just like your Japanese defense will be later. Take what he gives you, squeeze the noose slowly if you have to, and don't worry about Singers or Java taking longer than historical. If you need more reassurance look at the actual historical timeline. Sure Singers fell in mid-Feb but what are you ahead on?

Definitely don't split the Tainan and 3rd Ku s-1. The power of sweeps is in numbers in the group. Let them recover before destroying them completely. Don't fly them offensively if they are tired (more than 10 fatigue, or planes with more than 20 fatigue) and don't fly sweeps if morale is below 90.

Also, I use Nates in China only, and not if the AVG is there. Your pilots are the valuable part, and they die in Nates. Don't let them near Malaya or Java! How many Oscar Ic are you making?

The KB is useful, but there are a lot of Dutch and British subs, plus S-boats, in the DEI, and Japanese ASW sucks right now. You simply don't need them there.

Pile a bunch of CL/DD together and turn them into fast transports. Send them in with regiments or several SNLF and take what you can quick, then get the ships out. With LR CAP of course. It works. Also makes a handy CAP trap if he is sending strikes.

It would help to see some maps. I've no idea what you have and what you don't.

If ever there was a post that comes too late, it's yours, Obvert.

You're getting frantic for no reason. Java is fragile, just like all of the DEI. The troops suck, the airpower is thin, and it's too big to defend the whole coast. There are only a few planes that can hurt your naval strength, and they are very few and short ranged. Just keep tightening the noose getting the things that are easy.

I'd agree, but this turn A-24s turned up in Singapore and nailed some destroyers at Singkawang. If they can wreck destroyers, I'd hate to see what they'd do to merchants...

You're getting frantic for no reason. Java is fragile, just like all of the DEI. The troops suck, the airpower is thin, and it's too big to defend the whole coast. There are only a few planes that can hurt your naval strength, and they are very few and short ranged. Just keep tightening the noose getting the things that are easy.

The problem is that it's concentrated. I simply can't get air superiority, either over Singapore or Java. The situation is so bad that the previous turn I was unable to defend Palambang from Hurricane sweeps!

Firstly, the time for critique will come in a few months. Buck up and get to work, and forget thinking you're being outplayed. It's a charade. Just like your Japanese defense will be later. Take what he gives you, squeeze the noose slowly if you have to, and don't worry about Singers or Java taking longer than historical. If you need more reassurance look at the actual historical timeline. Sure Singers fell in mid-Feb but what are you ahead on?

I suspect that Java has been reinforced by the British units that arrive. The "noose" I have is a complete fabrication. The Netties have hardly flown, and when they have they've flew right in to the waiting jaws of Miller's AVG, and at best only cover the northern side of Java.

Definitely don't split the Tainan and 3rd Ku s-1. The power of sweeps is in numbers in the group. Let them recover before destroying them completely. Don't fly them offensively if they are tired (more than 10 fatigue, or planes with more than 20 fatigue) and don't fly sweeps if morale is below 90.

This has been one of the mistakes that has cost me this game. They died in dribs and drabs across the DEI instead of being the armoured fist needed to break strong Allied bastions like Singapore or the AVG.

Also, I use Nates in China only, and not if the AVG is there. Your pilots are the valuable part, and they die in Nates. Don't let them near Malaya or Java! How many Oscar Ic are you making?

Evidently nowhere near enough. My IJA fighter pools are abysmal, beyond scrapping the bottom of the barrel. Lesson learned, build more Oscars.

The KB is useful, but there are a lot of Dutch and British subs, plus S-boats, in the DEI, and Japanese ASW sucks right now. You simply don't need them there

A moot point, now anyways. The KB is a few battered hulks in Cam Rahn Bay. What's worse is the B-17 strike that's left two moderately damaged carriers in sinking condition while the KB pilots die in droves over Singapore.

Pile a bunch of CL/DD together and turn them into fast transports. Send them in with regiments or several SNLF and take what you can quick, then get the ships out. With LR CAP of course. It works. Also makes a handy CAP trap if he is sending strikes.

It would help to see some maps. I've no idea what you have and what you don't.

I've never even though of using fast transport, I'll file that away for future use.

Maps and such are a bit of a moot point now as well, I've already said to Miller that I'd prefer to start afresh. By this point, I've made too many fundamental mistakes to make the game competitive as it progresses. As it stands, I'll take Singapore by late Feb, then spend March trying to besiege Java before impaling the IJN trying to force a landing in April. Combined with severe IJN warship losses, the outlook isn't good. I hoped to last till '44 with this game, and it's looking like I'll not see '43.

tl;dr My understanding of how to play Japan was flawed. My previous opponents had never been experienced or aggressive enough to point out how flawed it was. Miller, however, was, and ran all over it, and everything fell apart.

Well, you may think so, but as I say, the Allied defense is brittle and flimsy, and although it looks ferocious when you're staring into it's center, it will not last. Japan is about tenacity and coordination of forces early, plus the ability to find the spots that aren't strong.

Here's an AAR that may help. No matter what the situation is in your game, you can always look to this and know that it could be worse! Yet, in spite of the many severe setbacks, the game is competitive in early 43, without (yet) significant Allied advances, and that's after I had even more naval setbacks and lost another CV.

Here are some relevant posts:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/fb.asp?m=3105419 turn 2 - KB shattered

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/fb.asp?m=3110061 great post by panzeryaeger hortland

In this game I didn't even get Palembang until (if I remember correctly) late March-early April.

Miller is a very good opponent, but still he is making his defenses look better than they actually are. If he put Brit troops on java, great. Kill them. That's a lot of Brit squads he'll have to replace, and they don't come quickly. He won't be able to hold these things. There are only like 25 Banshees available and about the same number of Brit Stringbags. So a few CAP traps and those are gone. Ten what? Just B-12s and float planes. That won't stop your invasions.

You have time, and you have the force. When I say tighten the noose I mean get whatever he is not defending. If it's all on Java, go for the Southern DEI and come back to Java when it's totally isolated. Use recon heavily, and when you go, go all-in. No amount of forces there will ultimately stop your advance.

Well, after much internal conflict, I'll take the shame of a Feb 42 defeat and make it my own. I think we're both disapointed that I didn't have it in me to stick it out, but I'll take the experiance, insights and wisdom imparted along with the shame and consider myself very much better off for it.

The next step for me is to completely re-evalute how I approach playing as Japan. This game has made several flaws in my play very, very apparent, so I'll be ironing them out before I jump in to another PBEM, hopefully with someone with whom the experiance gap is not so wide.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

Well, after much internal conflict, I'll take the shame of a Feb 42 defeat and make it my own. I think we're both disapointed that I didn't have it in me to stick it out, but I'll take the experiance, insights and wisdom imparted along with the shame and consider myself very much better off for it.

The next step for me is to completely re-evalute how I approach playing as Japan. This game has made several flaws in my play very, very apparent, so I'll be ironing them out before I jump in to another PBEM, hopefully with someone with whom the experiance gap is not so wide.

There is no shame in losing a game to an experienced opponent.

It is just a game.

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

Well, after much internal conflict, I'll take the shame of a Feb 42 defeat and make it my own. I think we're both disapointed that I didn't have it in me to stick it out, but I'll take the experiance, insights and wisdom imparted along with the shame and consider myself very much better off for it.

The next step for me is to completely re-evalute how I approach playing as Japan. This game has made several flaws in my play very, very apparent, so I'll be ironing them out before I jump in to another PBEM, hopefully with someone with whom the experiance gap is not so wide.

There is no shame in losing a game to an experienced opponent.

It is just a game.

It brings great dishonour! In Feb '42 no less!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6zQ6ZqEqg0

Well, after much internal conflict, I'll take the shame of a Feb 42 defeat and make it my own. I think we're both disapointed that I didn't have it in me to stick it out,

Another promising two-sided AAR goes belly-up . . . [:(]

I lasted until mid-42 in my first game as Japan. I was playing FatR using one of JuanG's mod. I hadn't understood how Combat and Move Mode worked well enough to get through northern Malaya quickly. Somehow he got the 18th UK Division through to Singapore. It took me until April to take it. He got the three "At Sea" brigades off India into Palmebang via Oosthaven. By the time I got there in May, it fell with the Oil and Refineries almost totally trashed. Less than a hundred of each was left standing. OUCH!!

The hardest thing for me now as Japan is to keep the tempo up early on. Its easy for the initial landings, but can you get the needed shipping where it needs to go to pick up the 2nd and then 3rd sequence of landing troops. Q-Ball was very good at this.

Maybe try a Head-to-Haed against yourself to get the first few months down. Decide if your going historical or non-histrocial 1st turn. That makes a big difference.

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

I lasted until mid-42 in my first game as Japan. I was playing FatR using one of JuanG's mod. I hadn't understood how Combat and Move Mode worked well enough to get through northern Malaya quickly. Somehow he got the 18th UK Division through to Singapore. It took me until April to take it. He got the three "At Sea" brigades off India into Palmebang via Oosthaven. By the time I got there in May, it fell with the Oil and Refineries almost totally trashed. Less than a hundred of each was left standing. OUCH!!

The hardest thing for me now as Japan is to keep the tempo up early on. Its easy for the initial landings, but can you get the needed shipping where it needs to go to pick up the 2nd and then 3rd sequence of landing troops. Q-Ball was very good at this.

Maybe try a Head-to-Haed against yourself to get the first few months down. Decide if your going historical or non-histrocial 1st turn. That makes a big difference.

While this isn't my first game as Japan, it's been my first game against someone as good as Miller. What I've gotten away with in the past ended up costing me far too dearly. I am glad to see that I'm not alone.

One of the bigger problems (as I see it, Miller may disagree) was that I simply didn't react to events or Allied deployments. Invasion shipping was sunk or damaged and there was no contigency plan. Troops sat about till I figured something out, organized another convoy and it arrived.

It ended up as a big cycle of robbing Peter to pay Paul. There was a life or death struggle over Singapore, the Eastern DEI was wide open for the taking and I had perhaps two task-forces moving naval guards about when regiments and divisions were what was needed.

Shipping is important folks, you might just be like me and not know it till you start losing it.

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

Well, after much internal conflict, I'll take the shame of a Feb 42 defeat and make it my own. I think we're both disapointed that I didn't have it in me to stick it out,

Another promising two-sided AAR goes belly-up . . . [:(]

There's a que of the disapointedforming, I'm first, Miller's second, you'll need to filter in.

Hopefully disapointments don't become a trend.

your opponent was a gambler! A slightly different outcome to the carrier battle ie. lower damage to unsunk KB ships and you had an invite to run wild.

ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot

your opponent was a gambler! A slightly different outcome to the carrier battle ie. lower damage to unsunk KB ships and you had an invite to run wild.

At the risk of sounding like a defeatist, the results from the carrier battle was very, very much a fluke. The US CV's were right next to Batavia, which was hosting a whole bunch of British, Dutch and American fighters. If they had flown properly (Miller, I don't think understood the LRCAP penalty on CVTF's), the damage to the USN would have been enough to tip the battle.